The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has cautioned President Bola Tinubu against what it describes as “defection shopping,” warning that attempts to lure opposition figures will not guarantee victory for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.
Debo Ologunagba, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, issued the warning on Wednesday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Morning Brief, following the defection of Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah from the PDP to the APC.
Ologunagba argued that the APC’s focus on political defections is a distraction from its poor governance record and failure to address Nigeria’s pressing economic challenges. “I told the president sometime ago to stop this endorsement shopping or defection shopping; that will not help him in 2027,” he said. “The election in 2027 is between the APC and the Nigerian people.”
According to the PDP spokesman, political defections are being used to divert public attention from the ruling party’s perceived failures. “What is going on today is taking us completely away from the failure of the government. Government is doing this to deflect us from the real issues. Every time we are talking about the PDP, the Labour Party or the ANPP, we are losing focus about their failures,” he said.
Ologunagba also emphasised the importance of democratic pluralism, urging President Tinubu to adopt a tolerant and inclusive approach to governance. “To the President, he must know that there’s a responsibility on him to ensure that a multi-plural, multi-society like Nigeria must have opportunity for people to express themselves,” he said. “They may not always agree with you, but you must be able to listen to them and allow them operate in their own way, so that there would be a development of democracy and we can have a virile nation.”
Despite recent defections of some governors to the APC, Ologunagba reassured that the PDP remains resilient, focused on rebuilding, and prepared for future electoral contests.
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Reporting by Emman Tochi in Lagos, Nigeria.
